[Federal Register: June 19, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 117)]
[Notices]
[Page 29164-29165]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19jn09-24]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2009-0027]
National Animal Identification System; Public Meeting
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: This is a notice to inform the public of an addition to the
schedule of upcoming meetings to discuss stakeholder concerns related
to the implementation of the National Animal Identification System. The
additional meeting is being organized by the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service.
DATES: The meeting will be held on June 30, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites
Omaha--La Vista Hotel & Conference Center, 12520 Westport Parkway, La
Vista, NE.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Adam Grow, Director, Surveillance
and Identification Programs, National Center for Animal Health
Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 200, Riverdale, MD 20737;
(301) 734-3752.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of its ongoing efforts to safeguard
animal health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated
implementation of a National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in
2004. The NAIS is a cooperative State-Federal-industry program
administered by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS). The purpose of the NAIS is to provide a streamlined
information system that will help producers and animal health officials
respond quickly and effectively to animal disease events in the United
States.
The ultimate long-term goal of the NAIS is to provide State and
Federal officials with the capability to identify all animals and
premises that have had direct contact with a disease of concern within
48 hours after discovery. Meeting that goal requires a comprehensive
animal-disease traceability infrastructure. An NAIS User Guide and a
Business Plan, both available on our Web site at http://
animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/animal_id/index.shtml, provide detailed
information about our plans for implementing the system.
Despite concerted efforts, APHIS has not been able to fully
implement the NAIS. Many of the same issues that producers originally
had with the system, such as the cost and impact on small farmers,
privacy and confidentiality, and liability, continue to cause concern.
In order to provide individuals and organizations an opportunity to
discuss their concerns regarding the NAIS and offer potential
solutions, we have held several public meetings and plan to hold
several more, and we are soliciting comments via our Web site. This
notice is to inform the public that we are
[[Page 29165]]
adding a meeting to the schedule. The additional meeting will be held
on June 30, 2009, in Omaha, NE.
Our goal is to gather feedback and input from a wide range of
stakeholders to assist us in making an informed decision regarding both
the future of the NAIS and the objectives and direction for animal
identification and traceability. We would particularly welcome feedback
on the following topics:
Cost. What are your concerns about the cost of the NAIS?
What steps would you suggest APHIS use to address cost?
Impact on small farmers. What are your concerns about the
effect of the NAIS on small farmers? What approaches would you suggest
APHIS take to address the potential impact on small farmers?
Privacy and confidentiality. What are your concerns
regarding how the NAIS will affect your operation's privacy and/or the
confidentiality of your operation? What steps or tactics would you
suggest APHIS use to address privacy and confidentiality issues?
Liability. What are your concerns about your operation's
liability under the NAIS? What would you suggest APHIS consider to
address liability concerns?
Premises registration. Do you have any suggestions on how
to make premises registration, or the identification of farm or ranch
locations, easier for stakeholders? How should we address your concerns
regarding premises registration?
Animal identification. Do you have any suggestions on how
to make animal identification practical and useful to stakeholders
while simultaneously meeting the needs of animal health officials who
must conduct disease tracebacks?
Animal tracing. Do you have any suggestions on how to make
the animal tracing component practical, in particular the reporting of
animal movements to other premises, while meeting the needs of animal
health officials who must conduct disease tracebacks?
The meeting schedule is tentative as of the date of this
publication. Please check our Web site at http://www.usda.gov/nais/
feedback for the most up-to-date meeting information. The list of
discussion topics is also available on the Web site. On-site
registration will begin at 8 a.m. on the day of each meeting. All
persons attending must register prior to the meetings.
Although preregistration is not required, participants are asked to
preregister by sending APHIS an e-mail at NAISSessions@aphis.usda.gov
or calling 301-734-0799. In the subject line of the e-mail, indicate
your name (or organization name) and the location of the meeting you
plan to attend. If you wish to present comments during one of the
meetings, please include your name (or organization name) and address
in the body of the message. Members of the public who are not able to
attend may also submit and view comments via the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2009-0027. Additional information
regarding the meetings may be obtained from the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of June 2009.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E9-14481 Filed 6-18-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P